Australia's western gateway

As the western gateway to Australia and Australia’s western window to the world, Perth occupies a unique geographic and economic position.

It is Australia’s closest and most accessible capital city to the world’s strongest economic growth regions and has evolved into a major hub for air travel, freight and logistics.

Serviced by 18 major international airlines and 12 regional and domestic carriers, Perth enjoys the shortest travel times of any Australian state capital city to key markets in Africa, the Middle East, Europe, the United Kingdom and most Asian markets.

Its evolution from a relatively isolated city of a decade ago to one of the world’s most livable cities is an exercise in smart growth that is aimed at addressing urban challenges directly and sustainably.

Underlining the importance of the efficient mobility of people and goods to economic advantage is the redevelopment of Perth Airport. In the past six years, more than $1 billion of capital works, including 92 projects valued at over $5 million each, has been completed or commenced at the airport. The operations add approximately $2.6 billion to the State's gross regional product annually, and this is estimated to grow to $7 billion a year by 2034.

Over the past decade, the airport has experienced growth rates of nine per cent per annum. The number of passengers to pass through the airport is expected to surge from 14 million in 2014 to more than 28 million by 2034.

Perth Airport’s redevelopment into one of the best airports in the Asia-Pacific region included the opening of Terminal 2 and the expansion and upgrade of Terminals 1 and 3 in 2015. This will see all commercial air services, with the exception of Qantas and those in the general aviation area, consolidated into one precinct. The airport is located on a 2,105ha estate that has been developed into a road and rail freight logistics precinct.

Complementing the airport upgrade is the Gateway WA Perth Airport and Freight Access Project. This $1 billion investment in the road network is driven by the expected doubling of freight, particularly to the resource-rich Pilbara region, and an increase in the population of Perth and Peel to 2.44 million by 2026.

The Port of Fremantle, which operates through two harbours, is the State’s largest and busiest general cargo port, and an important historical site.

The Inner Harbour handles almost all of Western Australia’s container trade and provides facilities for livestock exports, motor vehicle imports, other general cargo trades, cruise ships and visiting naval vessels.